


Like a Hangman's Noose

by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes)



Series: The Ballad of a Dove [11]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-14 23:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9209576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiasobi_writes/pseuds/hollyandvice
Summary: "A full scale invasion," Shiro says, the slightest strain in the deadpan of his voice. "You think the Galra are preparing to mount a full scale invasion of this quadrant of the universe in order to find us and you didn't tell us right away."The day they've all been waiting for is nearly upon them. It's time to take down the leader of the Galra Empire once and for all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to [Tina](http://idoltina.tumblr.com/) for the beta despite this not being her fandom. You are an angel and I love you so much!
> 
> [Reblog from here!](http://hollyandvice.tumblr.com) Fic title from [Better Dig Two by The Band Perry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIdCo_QAz_E), series title from [If I Die Young by The Band Perry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJqUN9TClM).

For Keith, it starts in his dreams. Druids hovering over him, Zarkon smirking at him, Karala on her knees before him and, above all, the constant, unending, unerring pain. It's not every sleep cycle, but it's often enough that Keith starts to take notice of when it happens. He starts to pay closer attention to Lance on those mornings, taking stock of what he does and where he goes. Lance is more erratic those mornings, jumpier than normal, and prone to snapping at anyone that asks him if he's alright. And though it takes a few weeks, Keith also starts to notice the frequency with which Lance seeks Pidge out on those mornings. It might be nothing. But it might be something. And if the something has the potential to be as dangerous as the growing pit in Keith's stomach suggests, he's not above following Lance to Pidge's lab.

Despite this, for the first few weeks after his discovery, Keith lets Lance keep his privacy, hoping that his bondmate will come to him eventually. But when it stops disrupting only Keith's dreams and starts disrupting his day to day life, that plan comes to a screeching halt. The first time a vision rocks Lance to his core in a training sim and the reaction spills over through the bond, it takes all of Keith's training to keep his vision focused on the bot in front of him and not succumb to the vision. Despite his best efforts, however, Keith ends up being the first to fall victim to the robot's laser fire, which in turn leads to Pidge eyeing him contemplatively once they join him underneath the training room. Keith avoids their gaze, playing dumb throughout the rest of the day, and still no confession from Lance is forthcoming. The feeling of dread is only getting worse, and Keith is growing more and more certain that Lance isn't going to say anything.

It's time to take matters into his own hands.

\----

Keith sneaks down to Pidge's lab after Lance two cycles later, visions of Zarkon seared behind his eyelids as he slips inside after his bondmate. He stays as far to the edge of the room as he can, staying out of sight as he creeps close enough to hear what Lance and Pidge are talking about. Their words are soft and indistinct, but as he gets closer the words become clearer.

"They're getting worse, aren't they?" Pidge asks. Lance doesn't say anything in return, and Pidge, in true Pidge fashion, forges ahead. "They're affecting Keith too. Didn't you see him in the sim the other day? He knows something's going on, and you know him better than I do: he's not going to take this lying down."

"Which is exactly why I'm sure he doesn't know," Lance counters, voice sharp in a way Keith hasn't heard in a long time. "He would have confronted me about it right away, not let it sit like this."

"He changed while you were gone, Lance. He's a hell of a lot more patient about some things now than he was before. I wouldn't put it past him to be waiting for you to tell him first."

Lance is quiet for a long moment. "I can't tell him, Pidge. Not until I know for sure."

"You really think they're planning something big?"

"I think they're pissed that I got away from them, and I think they know their days are numbered if they don't do something soon."

Pidge draws a slow, deep breath before they speak. "Look, Lance. I've let you take the lead on this from day one. I'm not going to change that now. But I swear, Lance, if you're lying to me--"

"I'm not. We're still safe. Probably will be for a bit longer too. I swear, I'll tell everyone before it gets too dangerous."

"And you're sure it doesn't go both ways? That they can't see you the same way you can see them?"

"As sure as I can be, Pidge."

Pidge sighs again. "Alright. Keep your secrets, then, Lance. But I can almost guarantee that Keith knows more than he's letting on. You're digging your own grave keeping this from him."

"Better my own than his, which is what I might be left with if he goes in too soon, guns blazing, trying to keep me safe."

Keith doesn't hear if Pidge answers, too rattled to listen to anything else. The visions. They're not just memories, then. They're… what? Pidge seems to think they're insights, revealing more about the Galra and their current plans than Lance should be able to know, and Lance seems to agree. But how? _How_? And who else knows? It would seem that none but PIdge and Lance know, but surely… _surely_ they would have taken these suspicions to Zheerun or Karala? They would know better than Pidge or Lance.

But Lance still doesn't trust the Galra the way Child did. The way Child does, Keith corrects himself, reminding himself as he always must that Child is still there, though perhaps buried deeper than Keith had thought if Lance is keeping something this important a secret from Karala. If Karala and Zheerun don't know, then there's a possibility that the visions are two-way as Pidge had hypothesized. They could all be in danger if this is kept secret. Someone needs to be told.

Keith stops short at the realization. Someone needs to be told, and the obvious answer is Shiro. Shiro's their leader, and if anyone has the right and responsibility to make a decision about this, it's him. Keith starts to quicken his pace, ready to search Shiro out, only to slow back down again when he thinks of the breach of the privacy and trust of the bond he would be committing by going to Shiro without Lance's permission. He can't go to Shiro without Lance's say-so, and Lance… Lance may not be so willing to share.

Keith rubs at his forehead, unused to this sort of mental gymnastics. He's gotten better at it since Lance returned, but while he was gone Keith rarely bothered to think too deeply about anything. He learned patience, yes, but not strategy. That was always Shiro and Pidge's domain, not his. Yet here, now, he wishes he'd invested the time in that rather than developing only the forthright ease of his brute strength for battle. There's something to be said for strategy, poise, and foresight, and, truth be told, Keith is lacking in all three.

Despite that, one thing seems clear. He cannot move forward without confronting Lance first. Forthrightness has been his way, and so forthrightness is what he will use. It won't be easy, but it will be a first step, and right now the first step is what Keith needs.

He's been stationary too long. It's time to move forward again.

\----

Lance takes one step into their room after dinner that only to stop short, understanding cresting over his features. "Pidge was right," he says, sounding stunned. "You knew."

Keith nods. "I knew."

"How long?"

"Weeks."

Lance stares at Keith for a long time, looking somewhere between confused and contemplative. "You never said anything."

"I was waiting for you."

"For _what_?"

Keith gives a wry smile. "To meet me halfway."

Lance's eyes go wide at the old, familiar words, their mantra from Before (and Keith doesn't know when the world split into Before and After, but it happened sometime after he lost Lance and sometime before he got him back) clearly resonating in the way Keith had hoped. Lance moves slowly across the room, settling beside Keith on their bed but staring at the door instead of meeting his eyes. "I don't know if I know how to do that anymore."

Keith nods. "I figured. That's why, in the end, I did exactly what I used to do."

Lance's mouth twitches up in a wry smile, his gaze still fixed on the door. "You were in the lab today."

"I was," Keith confirms.

Lance sighs. "I had a feeling." He's quiet for a moment. "You want me to tell the team."

"I want you to at least tell Shiro. If it's as bad as it sounded in there, he deserves to know."

"I get it," Lance says, sounding resigned, "but if I know Shiro, he's going to want to tell the team once he finds out the whole story, and he'll probably want Karala and Zheerun's input too, so I might as well just tell everybody at the same time."

Keith nods. "I figured as much. But that's your call to make, not mine."

Lance hums, a small smile on his face. "Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"It can wait," Keith agrees.

"Thank you." Lance reaches out, his fingers finding Keith's without looking. He lifts them to his lips, kissing his knuckles with gentle intent. "Thank you."

Keith leans over, tucking his head against Lance's shoulder as he lowers their joined hands. "Always."

\----

It's worse than Keith had thought.

"A full scale invasion," Shiro says, the slightest strain in the deadpan of his voice. "You think the Galra are preparing to mount a full scale invasion of this quadrant of the universe in order to find us and you didn't tell us right away." Lance's jaw goes tight at Shiro's words and Shiro deflates, clearly reading the situation just as Keith is: Lance didn't want anyone to think he was crazy, much less risk their necks for what barely even counts as an unconfirmed report given that it's coming in the form of what might generously be called a vision and might more accurately be called a hallucination. "Well, all we can do now is handle it. Karala? Thoughts?"

Keith watches Lance go stiff, but he doesn't react to the motion, choosing to let Lance reach out for him if he needs him.

"It's a possibility," Karala says, sounding thoughtful. "Zarkon was planning on…." She glances at Lance, and everyone seems to catch the implication in what she's left unsaid. "Well," she says, lowering her eyes, "let's just say that it wouldn't surprise me to learn he's gone to great lengths to correct what he sees as a… as a misstep. Especially one so crucial."

"And K'tok?"

Karala nods. "Probably being kept close to him to atone. Most of the Druids keep separate from active planning and strategy, choosing to focus on the creation of weapons of power and subjugation instead." Keith grits his teeth against the need to shudder at her words. "If she is to repay the part that her actions played in allowing Child--that is, in allowing Lance to escape, then she will be kept close at his side while he plans."

Zheerun sneers. "Serves the old bat right."

Karala bites her lip to hide a smile, and Keith can't decide if he's angry at the pair of them or relieved that they're taking this so lightly.

Shiro nods. "So? What do we do?"

"We strike first," Lance says, and the whole room turns to face him. "If I can learn to control what I can see--"

"No," Keith says, forcing every ounce of steel into his voice. "We've seen what these visions do to you, if you start trying to, what, _invoke them_ , who knows--"

"It's the only edge we have over them, Keith! If we're going to do something to stop them, it's not going to be something safe or easy. Safe and easy is what got us here, and safe and easy will damn us. We can't afford that any longer. We're in the endgame of this war, Keith, and I started it the second I turned myself over to them. If we're going to end this, it has to be now, before they do something we can't undo."

"And what happens when it backfires? When they start being able to see back through you, when they find a way to use your edge and turn it around on us? It's not worth it, Lance, not when we finally have you back."

"You won't have anything if the Galra kill us all."

Keith stares at Lance, numbness spreading from his heart to his fingertips. "You're serious."

Lance swallows, seeming to feel Keith's fear through the bond. Keith doesn't even bother trying to hold it back, knowing it's a worthless effort. "There's no time to do anything else. It's us or them, Keith, and I choose us."

It feels like weakness, like giving in, but Keith knows he can't argue any longer. He looks away.

He hears Lance shift, turning to face Shiro. "You're the leader, Shiro. It's your call."

"It's not a decision I can make on my own," Shiro counters. "I won't ask everyone to go in, guns blazing, if we're not in agreement. We're a team, Lance, and we always have been." Shiro's quiet for a moment. "Allura? Pidge? Hunk?"

No one seems to want to be the first to speak, and Keith can't blame them. In the end, though, Keith isn't surprised to hear Pidge pipe up first.

"Look, Lance's been trying to cover my ass by leaving me out of all this, but the truth is, he told me first. I kept his secret because I know how important secrets are, and I wasn't going to take that away from him. But I've thought from day one that we should take the fight to the Galra." There's a conviction in Pidge's voice that sets Keith's nerves on edge. "Like he said, it's the only way we're going to win. It's the only way we're going to protect Earth. And it's the only way we have even the slightest chance of surviving. If you're in, I'm in. Let's take the fight to them, and let's take them down."

Keith grits his teeth and doesn't speak.

Hunk shuffles from foot to foot, but Keith's pretty sure he knows what Hunk's going to say before he even opens his mouth. "I'm not… excited about the prospect by any means," he says softly, "but I can't say I disagree with Lance or Pidge. We've spent most of the last three years putting out whatever fires we could and trying to hold an entire empire at bay almost entirely by ourselves. If we can use this to take the fight to them… if we have a chance to end this… if you really think this is possible, then I'm in."

"It's possible," Zheerun says, something strange in her voice that makes Keith look up. "With the extent of the blue paladin's exposure to Druid magics, especially in conjunction with his bond to Karala, however temporary, he may have more insight into their plans than we might otherwise expect." She glances at Keith, clearly anticipating his reticence, and says none too gently, "The plan has merit."

Allura nods. "It does seem like the best course of action. It provides an insight into the Galra planning that we would not otherwise have."

"It makes sense," Coran agrees. "If we know what they're planning, we can take them out with a great deal more ease.”

Allura turns to Zheerun and Karala. "You can train him to gain a deeper insight into the plans of the Galra?"

Zheerun nods. "I can. I can make sure he keeps their minds out of it too, just to be safe. None of them will know he was there, and we'll be able to get as much information out of them as we can."

"You got quiet," Shiro says, and Keith can feel their leader's eyes on him.

Keith snorts. "Why bother when it's obvious I'm going to be overruled?"

"Keith--" Lance starts, but Shiro cuts him off.

"This is a whole team decision, Keith. If you're not all in, we won't do it."

The whole room falls silent at the assertion, and Keith knows that one word would be enough to get Shiro to shut the whole conversation down. It's tempting in a way that he's not at all surprised by. Still, he knows that it will take ages for Lance to forgive him for standing in the way of what might be their one shot at ending this war, and that's only if he does decide to forgive Keith. He might not.

Keith takes a deep breath, looking over so his eyes are focused only on Lance. "If Zheerun thinks it's safe, I won't stand in the way," he says softly. "I want to end this as much as the rest of you. I just don't want it to cost me the one person I don't want to lose." Lance's eyes go wide for an instant at Keith's words, but he schools his expression quickly enough.

Shiro glances between the two of them, seeming to understand what isn't being said. He sighs, nodding. "Alright, then. We'll let Zheerun train you, Lance, and once we have an idea of what the Galra are planning, we'll go from there."

Lance nods, glancing once at Zheerun. "We'll get started right away."

Keith closes his eyes. It was the outcome he was expecting, if not the one he wanted. He excuses himself from the meeting without a word, heading toward the training room. Sometimes beating the crap out of bots is the only way to handle his anger, and he's pretty sure this is going to be one of those times.

\----

Three weeks later finds Keith in the same place, fighting until his muscles ache and his skin is littered with bruises and cuts, and then fighting some more. It's not that everyone's walking on eggshells around him so much as they look at him like he's dynamite rigged to blow at the slightest wrong move. The worst part is that that isn't even all that far from the truth. Lance leaves their bedroom before Keith wakes and returns after he's fallen asleep, and the only proof Keith has that Lance was ever even there is mussed sheets and occasionally the warmth in the bed beside him to which he wakes. The separation from his bondmate aches, but Keith perseveres, doing as Shiro and Allura bid in their efforts to continue to act as if nothing has changed so as to keep the Galra in the dark about their plans. The patrols and scuffles with Galra troops are a welcome distraction, but they don't change the fact that Keith still comes home to an empty bed at the end of every cycle and wakes alone just hours later.

At first, Keith counts the days between Lance sightings. Those rare days where Lance comes up from Zheerun and Karala's quarters to eat lunch with them or joins the team for a training session are welcome reprieves from the long stretches of days where Keith sees neither hide nor hair of his bondmate. But those days slowly become fewer and further between, and eventually Keith stops keeping track. He cherishes those moments when he does get to see Lance, but in the interim he just focuses on surviving and keeping the slowly burgeoning plan secret.

Because a plan is slowly coming into play. There are parts of it that make Keith want to scream, more than he's willing to admit, to be sure, but it's a plan nonetheless, and that's more than they've ever had up to this point. The memory of the day Zheerun quietly informed them that, as expected, Lance's visions were a result of his prolonged exposure to Druid magics still haunts him, as does her assertion that there's a chance--slim as a result of her training, but still there--that the bond could be used in the other direction. That visions could flow from Lance to the Druid he's bound to instead of just the other way around.

But there is a plan, and Keith constantly reminds himself that even though Lance is filtering through his visions of the Galra plans essentially alone, he will not be alone when the time to do battle in person finally comes. They're a team, and they have been for years, and no one had batted an eye when Shiro had asserted that they would all be facing the Galra together when the time came. Still, there are elements of the plan that make Keith uneasy, particularly the part where Shiro and Lance will likely be facing down Zarkon without the backup of the rest of the team.

"We'll get you in if we can," Shiro had said, "but Karala thinks there's a good chance that we'll need you to hold the shuttle bay and leave Zarkon and his Druids to me and Lance."

It had taken years of trusting Shiro's judgment to allow Keith to hold his tongue. Shiro's eyes had even flicked over to meet Keith's, a question and an apology in his gaze. But Keith had simply shaken his head minutely, silently asserting what they both already know: that Keith trusts Shiro, and will continue to do so for as long as necessary.

That doesn't mean that Keith will hold back from taking out his anger on the bots in the training room.

He feels Lance's eyes on the back of his neck a good ten minutes before he finds the strength to power down down the sim to face him. Even then, he stands still for a long minute, letting his breathing slow and his heart rate calm. Then he turns to Lance, a tired smile on his face.

"Lance."

Lance pushes himself off the doorjamb he'd been leaning against, approaching Keith slowly. "Keith. Is everything…?" Lance pauses, running a hand through his hair and giving a self-deprecating laugh. "Of course everything isn't okay," he mutters, letting his hand drop from his hair to rub at his heart. "Of course it isn't."

Keith winces, recognizing that he must have been projecting into the bond more than normal. "Sorry," he says softly, but Lance shakes his head.

"No, it's… I know you're worried, and it's a good reminder that there's more to this than just me and what I want to get out of this."

Keith blinks. "What _do_ you want to get out of this?"

Lance's face takes on a bitter cast. "I mean, I want the war to be over, same as the rest of the team, but honestly a healthy dose of revenge for what they put me through wouldn't go amiss."

A surprised laugh punches its way out of Keith's chest. Lance gives a wry smile, and it settles something in the bond. Keith straightens a little, looking Lance in the eye. "I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?" Lance shakes his head at the question, a touch of remorse in his eyes. Keith nods, taking a step closer to Lance. "Then just… promise me you'll do whatever you can to come back to me?"

Lance's eyes go wide. "You're not even going to try to talk me out of it?"

Keith shrugs. "I've learned there are some battles that just… aren't worth fighting. I'd much rather fight the ones that I have a chance of winning."

Lance stares at Keith for a long time, clearly mulling the proposition over. "I can't promise much of anything," Lance says softly. "I know what me being gone did to you. To everyone. I don't want to leave you behind again. But I need to do something to… I don't know. Get closure, I guess? So I can't promise much of anything, and I certainly can't promise you that I will come back for sure. But I can promise you that I will try."

Keith nods. "That's all I ask."

\----

Keith wouldn't say that he's ready so much as simply resigned when the time comes to go over the final plans. Shiro seems to sense this and keeps the briefing as brief as possible. Once everyone's roles are clear and there's a low buzz of hope and cautious confidence in the air, Shiro straightens, looking each of them in the eye in turn.

"We know where the ship is located and we know its layout. We know how to get in and where we'll find Zarkon. Everyone knows what part they will play. This won't be easy, and we might not all make it back, but if we can do this, we will deal a deadly blow to the Galra forces. Whatever concerns you have, now is the time to speak them, because once we make the jump into the heart of Galra territory, there's no turning back." Shiro eyes the assembled parties, and Keith feels his nerves settle a bit in the face of Shiro's quiet confidence. "Then get some rest. We leave next cycle."

\----

Keith doesn't quite cling to Lance all night, but it's a near thing. Lance does his best to soothe him with word and touch alike, but they both know it won't be enough, and Keith will carry his nerves with him into battle. But Keith's done it before and come through relatively unscathed, and the both of them hold the same hope in their hearts that this time will be the same.

When they leave in the morning, Lance presses a kiss to Keith's lips. "I will do everything I can to come back to you," he whispers, and Keith clenches his eyes shut at the assertion and the well of desperation in the bond. "I promise."

Keith swallows, nodding back at him. "See to it that you do."

Lance laughs softly, squeezing Keith's hand once more before he turns away.

Keith has to force down the sense of foreboding that Lance's back leaves him with.

\----

When they come crashing through the wormhole, castle and all, it's clear that the Galra were not expecting this in the slightest. Keith thanks any deity that may be listening that Lance's visions truly did only go one way, protecting them from any enemy discovery. All five of the paladins take flight, following preplanned paths as they leave Allura and Coran in the ship, ready to do battle. Hunk takes Zheerun in his Lion and Shiro takes Karala. Keith lays down covering fire, heart in his throat while the rest of them make their way to the shuttle bay. Hunk's call of "Keith, we're in!" signals him to follow them, landing Red in the shuttle bay just as Hunk seals the bay off.

As Keith jumps out of his girl to join the rest of the team, Lance and Shiro are talking in low tones, leaving Keith ever so slightly uneasy. Shiro straightens, nodding once at the team. "We need to go find Zarkon. Lance knows where he is, but there's a chance we're going to hit some patrols on the way. If you get separated, get back here to rendezvous. We all memorized the layout, we can all get back here. Got it?" At everyone's nods, Shiro relaxes a little. "Whatever happens here, it's been an honor serving with all of you."

Keith's chest goes tight, especially when Lance doesn't pass Shiro's words off as a joke. Instead, he powers up his bayard, nodding once more at Shiro. "Shall we?"

Shiro smirks. "Let's."

\----

The first two patrols they run into are easy enough to subdue, but by the time they reach the third, it's clear that a call has gone up through the base to keep them away from Zarkon. Hunk takes them on, taking out a decent quarter of their ranks so that the rest of the team can forge ahead. "Go on!" he yells, "I'll follow as soon as I get these jerks taken care of!" They all hesitate for a moment while Hunk opens fire again, but the second he has a chance, he turns back to them again. "Go!"

They take off down the corridor, following Lance and Karala as they move effortlessly through the halls. One small patrol later they hit another mass of Galra soldiers. This time Pidge darts to the front, taking down half a dozen Galra in one fell swoop. They nod at the rest of the team, wordlessly sending them ahead. It's not that it's easier to leave Pidge behind so much as they can all feel their time beginning to run out. So the five of them keep going, following Lance's steps.

Keith hesitates for only the space of a heartbeat when they hit the next patrol, but he knows his place in the order here, knows that Karala and Zheerun have a better chance of getting Lance and Shiro to the heart of the battlestation than he does. As he darts to the front of the group, he allows himself only the slightest indulgence--a brush of his fingers over the small of Lance's back--before he leaps into battle. He feels more than hears the group pass him, continuing on, and though it leaves his heart in his throat, he ignores it, all his focus on battling the Galra around him. It won't do for Lance to keep his promise only for him to have no one to come back to.

There are almost too many Galra in the patrol he'd run across, enough that his body protests the longer he fights. But he has a drive to fight and a reason to stay alive, so he fights and fights and fights, and in the end when he looks around him, he has emerged the victor.

As he stands among the dozen or so Galra soldiers he's taken out, chest heaving from the exertion, he permits himself half a moment to glance in the direction Lance and the rest had gone. Some small, desperate part of him wants to follow, to stand at their side and fight this final battle with them. But this isn't his battle to fight. They have been hurt by the Galra a thousand times over, in ways so much worse than what Keith himself has been subjected to. For all that Keith would love to help them take out Zarkon, that wasn't the plan.

So, with a heavy heart and a touch of desperation, he turns on his heel, backtracking until he reaches the pile of dead and unconscious Galra that Pidge had left behind, until he reaches the remains of Hunk doing battle with his Galra patrol, until he reaches the shuttle bay where Pidge and Hunk wait. They both look up at the sound of his approach, and though they relax slightly when they see he is friend and not foe, there is still worry in both of their gazes. They don't ask anything, just go back to their silent vigil, and Keith joins them, the ache from the strain of his fight slowly settling into his muscles.

The group is silent for a long time, though all three are tense and ready to fight should the need arise. Keith isn't sure how long they sit there before Karala and Zheerun make their way back to the shuttle bay. Keith gets to his feet when he sees them, heart in his throat, but Zheerun waves him off. He relaxes slightly, the knowledge that they must have made it to Zarkon settling quietly in his chest. They must have been kept out in favor of Lance and Shiro; Zarkon has seemed to have a rather nasty streak in him the whole time they've fought him.

Still. That means it's all up to Lance and Shiro now.

It's only a few minutes after Karala and Zheerun have made it back to them that Keith begins to feel it. A small, quiet sort of dread starts to curl behind his sternum, and though he initially assumes that it is his own fear, it only takes a moment to recognize it for what it is. Lance's fear. Keith squeezes his eyes shut, hand going instinctively to his chest as he reaches out, trying to fortify Lance with every ounce of confidence Keith has in him. Lance pushes back at first, as though trying to protect Keith, but Keith pushes back, insistent on standing at Lance's side in whatever small way he can. The fear ebbs for a moment, and Keith opens his eyes to see everyone assembled focused entirely on him, tension in the lines of their bodies.

Keith gives a tight smile but says nothing, still too unclear on what's actually happening to give any insight. Zheerun relaxes slightly at that, which Keith takes as a good sign.

Then, without warning, everything changes.

Keith falls to his knees, a scream ripping itself from his throat as Lance's fear comes through the bond, stronger than anything he's ever felt. It claws at Keith's throat, threatening to choke him or drown him, he's not sure which. There are frantic hands on his shoulders--Hunk, probably--and for all that Keith wants to reassure his friends that he's alright, he isn't, he _isn't_ , he's scared and shaking and Lance might be _dying_ what is he supposed to _do_?

Suddenly, the fear in Keith's chest is replaced with a strong, warm, fortifying confidence. It rocks Keith to the core, leaving him dizzy and disorientated. He looks up, chest tight and desperate. His vision hazes over, the world around him becoming fuzzy and strange. He reaches out for Hunk, stabilizing himself. Between one blink and the next, the fuzziness resolves itself into a vision of what can only be Zarkon's throne room. Keith sucks in a sharp breath, turning toward where Hunk should be, but the vision doesn't move with him, showing him the same sight as though he hadn't moved at all. Keith takes stock of the vision, of the slight shift and sway that suggests Lance--because this is undoubtedly what Lance is seeing right now--is unsteady on his feet, of the Druid that stands before him, of the way his bayard wavers and shakes in his hands.

Keith shoves himself to his feet using Hunk to balance himself, the dizziness from moving out of sync with Lance dissipating quickly. Keith swallows repeatedly, some part of him desperate to call out to Lance even though he knows, deep down, that the words won't be heard.

"Keith?" Hunk asks. "Is something wrong?"

"I can see it," he says, blinking rapidly even though the vision doesn't waver. "I can see what's going on in the throne room."

Someone grabs him by the elbow, and Zheerun speaks from right beside his ear. "Sight Sharing," she breathes out. "What… what can you see?"

Keith takes a deep breath. "There's a Druid? I think Lance is fighting her."

"And Zarkon?"

Keith shakes his head, ignoring the wave of dizziness that crests over his head. "I can't see him. Lance isn't looking at him."

"Shiro must be dealing with him."

Keith opens his mouth to respond, but as he does, Lance's bayard swings into his vision, crashing down toward the Druid only to be stopped short by what seems to be an invisible barrier.

Keith feels his eyes widen, but the view doesn't change in the slightest. Lance's bayard--a sword, at the moment--shakes and shudders in midair, seemingly fighting against the barrier. The Druid stays still, her eyes sharp and bright and pointed unerringly in Lance's direction. In the space of a breath, Keith can almost feel the way Lance redoubles his effort to slice through the barrier, and a part of Keith wonders where the intensity is coming from.

The Druid's face shifts slightly, somewhere between irritation and surprise, and something in Keith knows that this won't last much longer, whatever the outcome. As he watches, Lance's bayard seems to slip off the barrier, and for a split second Keith's seized with the certainty that Lance is going to die. It almost spills over down the bond, but the last thing Keith wants to subject Lance to if he truly is going to die is Keith's fear.

As he chokes on his panic, however, something changes in the throne room. Lance twists his bayard in the split second while the Druid presumably prepares a counterattack, and just as she's about to release it, Lance brings his bayard swinging in from the left, driving a deep gash into the side of her neck.

The Druid's eyes go wide, and her hands drop from their casting position to scrabble at her neck. Lance wastes no time, drawing his blade back again and driving it through her chest. He holds it there for a moment, before withdrawing it, leaving the Druid to slump to the ground.

Keith lets loose a victorious shout, and the hand still on his elbow tightens. "Keith?" Zheerun asks.

"He killed the Druid!" Keith says, viciously pleased at the words.

"And Zarkon?" Karala asks.

As though her words had bid it, Lance swings his gaze around to land on the space where Shiro and Zarkon are engaged in a fierce battle. Keith swallows, wanting to urge Lance forward, at least until his vision focuses on the battle itself.

"Shiro has the bayard!"

Karala gasps, and another set of hands clasp his. "And the battle?"

The vision starts to waver, and Keith frowns. "I can't--" He shakes his head, but that only makes the vision fade further, as though now that he believes Lance to be out of immediate danger, the Sight Sharing cannot hold. "Dammit, I can't…." The vision fades completely, and Keith swallows, blinking twice so he can see everyone clearly. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, and Karala's face falls.

Hunk, however, slaps Keith on the back. "Still! If Lance took out the Druid, that's half the battle! Well, maybe a quarter of the battle; I know Zarkon's stronger, but their odds must be better now!"

Karala and Zheerun are conspicuously quiet. Keith's stomach drops, but he shakes off the fear. "It's going to be fine, guys. Lance and Shiro have got each other. They're going to be fine."

The words ring hollow, but Keith forces himself to believe in them. It's the only safe place he has left.

\----

Time passes altogether too slowly in the shuttle bay. The sounds of the ongoing battle outside the battlestation occasionally make their way through the hull, distant and tinny, and Keith knows that some part of him should still be worried about Allura and Coran. Yet, the truth is, he has no space in his mind for anything but Lance's safety.

So when Lance comes limping through the door, Shiro leaning heavily against him, it feels like no small miracle.

Keith gets to his feet, staring at the pair of them as though he's never seen anything more wonderful. To be honest, he doesn't think he has.

He takes off at a run, hearing Karala and the rest of the team at his heels. Zheerun and Karala actually overtake him, the pair of them easing Shiro off of Lance's shoulder. Lance gives Shiro a lopsided smile as Zheerun takes Shiro's weight, but Keith can see the unsteadiness in his legs. He darts in, slinging Lance's arm over his shoulders, half to support Lance's weight, but half to help himself believe that Lance is here. Lance is _here_ , he's alive, he survived, and that… Keith hadn't realized how much he needed that, how frightened he'd been that he might not get this until he had Lance back in his arms.

"You did it?" Karala asks Shiro.

Shiro gives a tired smile, tossing a helmet no one had noticed before at Karala. Karala holds it reverently, turning it carefully from side to side. "It's yours," Shiro says softly. "If you want it."

Karala stares up at him, wide-eyed disbelief in her gaze. "What?"

"Can't really leave a vacuum of power, now, can we? Might just end up in the same situation all over again. I'm certainly not fit to lead the Empire, but you might just have a knack for it."

Karala blinks a few times before looking down at the helmet in her hands. Her hands shake where they hold it, and the silence in the room is loaded with uncertainty.

Then, in one decisive move, Karal lifts the helmet and plants it on her head. "It would be my honor."

Shiro smiles. "It suits you."

Zheerun's face is shining with pride, and Keith can't help but grin over at Hunk and Pidge. None of them had been in on what had clearly been Shiro's plan from the start, but it's obvious every single one of them is behind it. It's not something any of the rest of them had thought of, but then, there's a reason Shiro's their leader.

Hunk moves forward to take Shiro's weight from Zheerun, who steps forward to stand beside her bondmate. "You'd better go," Zheerun says. "It won't be long before they learn that Zarkon has been killed, and you'll need to be far away by that point."

Shiro nods, but Pidge steps forward, handing Zheerun something. "Long wave communicator," they say, and Zheerun nods. "Let us know if you need us to help get things back under control."

Zheerun and Karala both nod. Keith feels Lance stiffen beside him, and glances at his bondmate. But Lance's features are impassive, and Keith knows better than to press at a time like this. Whatever it is, it can wait until they're safely ensconced in the castle again.

The paladins all turn to head back to their Lions, and as Keith helps Lance to board Blue, he lets his hands linger on his bondmate. Lance looks up at him from the pilot's seat, curiosity in his gaze.

"I'm glad you're safe," Keith says, fingers ghosting over Lance's features.

Lance's eyes go wide for an instant before softening slightly. He reaches up to clasp Keith's hand in his, pressing a kiss to his fingertips. "Me too."

"And I'll be glad when we're all back in the castle," Pidge says over the comm system. "Come on, Keith, we haven't got all day."

Lance laughs, releasing Keith's hand. Keith grins back, making his way out of Blue's cockpit and over to Red. She lowers her head and opens her maw obligingly, and Keith lets his fingers rest against her hull as he steps inside. "Let's go home."

\----

The second they all make it back to the bridge, Allura opens a wormhole and Coran guides the castle into a hasty retreat. They need to leave the next stage of the battle to Zheerun and Karala for now, but there's a silent certainty that it could be left in no better hands.

Still, Allura lets her gaze rest on each paladin in turn as they stand before her on the bridge. "We have dealt a deadly blow to the Empire this day," she says, "but there is still work to do." Lance goes stiff where he stands beside Keith, and Allura's eyes snap over to him. "But for now, take your rest. You've earned it."

The paladins make their way wordlessly to their sleeping quarters. Keith hesitates outside his door for an instant, but Lance doesn't stop, heading to his room without stopping. Keith pauses, taking stock of the tense line of Lance's spine. Without a second thought, Keith leaves the door to his room ajar as he slips into the bathroom to shower after the battle, a silent signal to Lance that he is welcome in Keith's room, should he want to join Keith.

When he steps out of the shower, towel slung low on his hips, it's to see Lance with his knees tucked up under his chin while he toys with Keith's comforter. Keith pauses, giving Lance a moment to say something. When he doesn't, Keith moves quietly through the room, tugging the door shut and putting on fresh clothes before he joins Lance on the bed.

Lance leans into him automatically, and Keith wraps an arm over his shoulder, holding Lance tight to him. Lance turns, pressing his face into Keith's shoulder. Keith turns to press a kiss to the top of Lance's head, and he feels Lance chuckle softly against him before going still and quiet again.

Keith takes it for the opening it is. "Something on your mind?"

Lance doesn't answer for a long time, long enough that Keith wonders if he overstepped his bounds. But eventually Lance draws a deep breath, sitting up and looking Keith in the eye. "I just. I thought it would be over, y'know?"

Keith tilts his head to the side in silent question.

"After we killed Zarkon," Lance clarifies. "I thought it would be over."

Understanding zips through Keith like lightning. "You thought we could go back to Earth."

Lance curls in on himself, as though to make himself smaller. It's all the answer Keith needs.

Keith stares at Lance for a long time, thoughtful and silent. When the answer comes to him, however, it couldn't be more obvious. "You wanna ask Allura for some vacation time? We've definitely earned it."

Lance jerks upright, eyes wide and disbelieving on Keith's face. "What?"

"I'm sure the castle could get us to Earth and back no problem, and we've earned some vacation time. A month, maybe two. We could go back, you could see your family, let them know you're alright. It'll take Karala and Zheerun a while to figure out which Galra will fall in line and which will be the ones that we'll need to take out. Let's give them time to do their task and then we can get back to fighting the good fight."

Lance stares at Keith for a long moment. "You… you really think Allura would let us?"

Keith shrugs. "Never hurts to ask."

Lance's face breaks out in the widest smile Keith has seen on there in ages. "Yes," he says quietly. "Yes. Let's go home, Keith." He reaches out, embracing Keith and holding him close. "Let's go home."

**Author's Note:**

> And so we have come to the end of the main arc! I have an epilogue planned and an alternate ending to [part 5](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7524466) written and posted [here](http://hollyandvice.dreamwidth.org/3377.html), but as far as the main story, that's all she wrote. Thank you to all of you who came along for the ride; this piece would not have flourished nearly as much without you. Thank you too for your patience in these later portions; I know they took longer than when the piece was starting out because I went back to work on August, but I hope the wait was worth it.
> 
> [Come hang with me on tumblr!!](http://hollyandvice.tumblr.com/)


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